The following is a summary of the WikiProject article quality grading scheme.[1] Grades are listed in the order that an article will progress through from "just beginning" (STUB) to "near perfection" (FA or Featured Article). For our Molecular Biology class, we are targeting Grades B to GA (see sections highlighted in blue).
- STUB - the most basic level and generally represents an article that is in the beginning stages of creation. At this point the article may be just a sentence that defines the topic and/or an outline of what the future article will contain but with minimal content.
- START - article has basic information but content is not complete and still needs references.
- C (C-Class) - content goes beyond basic information and has some references. Much work is still needed to provide a full scope of information on the topic and to make the article flow well.
- B (B-Class) - generally complete and with no significant issues. May still have issues with content and style and may need to be audited against the Wikipedia style guidelines.
- GA (Good Article) - passed an "official review" and has content that would be judged as useful to most readers. Not "encyclopedia quality", but approaching that level of quality. Content is well referenced.
- A (A-Class) - Content has been peer-reviewed and is useful to all readers. Only an expert in the field would be able to identify something that was lacking. Might still need an expert to adjust the wording in a few places to get the message exactly right.
- FA (Feataured Article) - The top status for articles reaching "near perfection" and passing an official review. Content is excellent and professional and meets the goal of being "encyclopedia quality". Content is complete to the extent that nothing more is needed unless there are new developments.